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Nan and Ann 

In 

Manners Town 



“Off and away the happy twins bounded to the 

little log house.” 









































































JVAJV M ANM 
In Manners Town 

Laura Rountree Smith 



M A ID on oAote. C- Company 

Chicago. newrorK 



COPYRIGHT 1925 

BY 

M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY 


© Cl A858640 


CONTENTS 


Chapter 1. 

Manners at Home. 

7 

Chapter 2. 
Train 

The J ourney. Manners on the 

15 

Chapter 3. Street Manners. A Walk and Talk 
with Peter Polite. 

23 

Chapter 4. Household Manners. In Looking- 
Glass Land. 

32 

Chapter 5. 

Manners at Table. 

40 

Chapter 6. 

Manners in School. 

50 

Chapter 7. 

Manners in Public. 

74 

Chapter 8. 

Sarah Slang and Sally Sick-A-Bed. 

85 

Chapter 9. 

Manners toward Animals . 

101 

Chapter 10. 

Good Habits of Mind .... 

104 

Chapter 11. 

Good-By—The Journey Home . 

109 

Chapter 12. 

In Manners Town .... 

119 






















































































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Nan and Ann 
in Manners Town 


CHAPTER 1. 

MANNERS AT HOME. 

One evening Nan said, “Oh, Mother, may 
we go home with Aunt Matilda?” and Ann 
said, “Oh Mother, please say ‘y es ’*” 

Before Mother could answer a word Aunt 
Matilda said, 

“I want to take you up and down, 

All the way through Manners Town.” 

Nan giggled and Ann slid right off the sofa 
on to the floor, and both the Twins ran to 
Mother and threw their arms around her say¬ 
ing, “Do please say we can go home with Aunt 
7 


8 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Matilda, do let us take the trip with her to 
Seattle and travel through Manners Town.” 

Mother said, “How can I spare my Twins?” 

Father said, “It will do the Twins good to 
take a journey, and perhaps they will come 
home with better manners after they have 
stopped off in Manners Town.” 

Aunt Matilda was very full of fun and said 
with a merry twinkle in her eye, “Where is 
Mark?” 

She did not explain that she had sent Mark 
downtown to buy something as a surprise for 
the Twins. 

Just then Mark came in. He set something 
down in the hall and the Twins ran from the 
table without stopping to say, “Excuse me,” 
and Father winked at Mother and said, “I 
think we had better let the Twins go if Aunt 
Matilda will promise to take them through 
Manners Town.” 

The Twins set up a shout, for Mark had 
brought each of them a traveling bag with 
their name engraved on the silver mounting. 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


9 


These bags were a present from Aunt Matilda. 

“Oh Mother, when can we start to pack?” 
cried the Twins with enthusiasm. 

Mother said, “Dear me, will you always for¬ 
get your manners? We want Aunt Matilda 
to stay on with us a long time.” 

Aunt Matilda laughed and said, “I must go 
anyway in two weeks, so you can pack your 
bags and unpack them several times before we 
start.” 

Quite suddenly, without a bit of warning, a 
Polite Pixie appeared in the door remarking, 

“To be polite if you really care, 

I hope you’ll offer me a chair!” 

The Twins were up and dressed by this time 
and were more than pleased to have a real 
Pixie with them. 

The Polite Pixie said, “I have decided to go 
with you on the journey and I am not going to 
tell you how or where I shall hide, or when to 
expect to discover me. I really can manage 
to hide somewhere in your baggage of course.” 



10 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“What fun!” cried the Twins excitedly. 

He said, “Little acts of courtesy are worth 
practising, because strangers judge you more 
by your manners than anything else.” 

Suddenly the Polite Pixie began to sigh and 
it was seventeen minutes before he would tell 
what was the matter. Then he confided to the 
Twins that it was hard to tell them apart when 
they were dressed exactly alike, and had their 
hair bobbed exactly alike. 

Nan’s eyes sparkled and she said, “I will 
have a band on my hair and Ann can wear 
her beads and then unless we exchange these 
decorations you will know us apart.” 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“I have forgotten my manners quite 
It is time to say ‘Good night’.” 

He disappeared and Nan said, “Oh Ann, 
I fear our Home Manners are really shocking.” 

Ann said, “I wonder if our train manners, or 
street manners, will be any better. What fun 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 11 


it will be for the Pixie to go with us, I wonder 
where he will hide.” 

What a busy time they had next day pack¬ 
ing their brand new traveling bags and their 
little steamer trunk. 



Aunt Matilda was busy packing too for 
every hour it grew nearer, and nearer time for 
them to start. 

Nan and Ann ran round the house saying, 
good-by to everything. They even ran down 
to the Little Log House where they had spent 





12 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


so many happy hours and shouted “good-by, 
good-by.” 

Mother said the Twins could help put up a 
fine lunch and Father gave them some shining 
silver dollars and said they might go into the 
dining car as often as they liked for meals. 

Old Sammy Slow-Coach asked if he was to 
take them to the train and all went merrily. 

Mark said, “I wish I were going with you.” 

Mother said to the Twins, “How I shall miss 
you, but I know you will have a wonderful 
journey.” 

The Twins hugged Mother and said, “We 
intend to write letters every day and we will 
have a wonderful journey through Manners 
Town.” 

Just then they heard the Polite Pixie, 
though they could not see him and he said, 

“Nan and Ann I really presume, 

There are good manners for every room.” 

My ! how the Twins had tossed their things 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 13 


about. They ran now and picked up books 
and wraps and plaything's. 

They said, “Do you suppose there are bed¬ 
room manners, and bath-room manners, and 
parlor manners, and kitchen manners? What 
a very interesting world we are living in.” 

The day finally came for the Twins to start 
on their journey with Aunt Matilda, and 
Sammy Slow-Coach drove them all to the sta¬ 
tion in the old-fashioned victoria and there on 
the platform, to see them off were their old 
friends. 

“Good-by,” called Eager Ed and Thought¬ 
less Ted, and even Betty Behind-Hand came 
running all out of breath to wave a last 
good-by. 

The Twins said, “We thought the Polite 
Pixie was going with us, but he is nowhere to 
be seen.” 

The bell rang. The whistle blew and the 
train started and with last good-by’s to all at 
home the Twins were at last on their way to 
Seattle and Good Manners Town. 



14 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


A voice cried, 

“ You really did not count on me, 

I journey by land and by the sea.” 

“The Polite Pixie!” cried the Twins in one 
breath. 

Aunt Matilda smiled and said, 

“I have a notion to invite, 

Little Peter and Polly Polite, 

And Little Edgar Education, 

May join us on our vacation.” 



CHAPTER 2. 


THE JOURNEY. MANNERS 
ON THE TRAIN. 

The Twins were taking a real journey at 
last! 

They were so excited that they fairly 
shouted “Oh, Aunt Matilda, which seats shall 
we take.” 

She said, “Hush, my dears, do not attract 
attention of strangers, we have reserved seats 
of course and if we follow the porter he will 
show us the way.” 

The Twins were excited when they found 
the number of their berth was 13, for they said, 
“Thirteen is an unlucky number, and they al¬ 
ways thought that riding in berth 13 had some¬ 
thing to do with the things that happened on 
that journey.” 


15 


16 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


The first unlucky thing that happened was 
that Aunt Matilda was taken ill, and had to 
have her berth made up so she could go to bed. 

Nan and Ann said, “Will we sleep on the 
shelf above?” 

The Patient Porter made friends with them 
at once and said they did not have to go to bed, 
but could sit in seats across the aisle until bed¬ 
time came. 

The Twins did not want to go into the din¬ 
ing car alone and Aunt Matilda said as she 
would probably be well by breakfast time, if 
they were neat and careful they might eat their 
lunch on the train now. 

They got out the lunch that Mother had put 
up for them. 

Aunt Matilda said, 

“Well mannered children I adore, 

Don’t spill your crumbs upon the floor.” 

Nan put a piece of newspaper in her lap and 
Ann used the lid of the box, and they ate 



Naa and Ann in Manners Town 17 


quietly for they were determined to be well 
mannered. 



The Patient Porter brought a ladder and the 
Twins said as t they climbed into the upper 
berth to sleep for the night, “It makes us think 
of Jack and the Bean Stalk, this wonderful 
climb.” 

Aunt Matilda reminded them that they 









18 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


must think of the comfort of other passengers 
on the train and not talk so loud. 



Everybody knew next day that there were 
Twins on the train, and they could not help 
answering questions, but as Aunt Matilda was 












Nan and Ann in Manners Town 19 


quite well again they enjoyed their breakfast 
in the dining car. They were amused at the 
call, “First Call for Breakfast, Second Call for 
Breakfast, and Last Call for Breakfast in the 
dining car.” 

Ann said, as they sat in the diner, “How fast 
the telegraph poles fly by,” and Nan said, 
“How very fast we are traveling.” 

Aunt Matilda said, “Look out of the win¬ 
dow and see the wonderful country we are go¬ 
ing through. To-day I will order breakfast, 
and Ann can order lunch, and Nan can order 
dinner, so you will get used to ordering a meal 
on the train.” 

The Twins were delighted with this idea of 
course. 

Nan liked to run up and down the aisles for 
exercise but the Pixie frowned and said she 
could certainly walk which was more dignified, 
and on no account should any one stand on 
the platform before the train stopped, or get off 
the car unless an older person got off in your 
company.” 



20 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“Dear me,” said the Twins in one breath 
“If we traveled alone we would never learn 
any of these things.” 

Only once, the Patient Porter scolded both 
the Twins. He found them leaning out of a 
window, and he said they must never, never do 
such a thing, as it was very dangerous, and ac¬ 
cidents had often happened in that way, by a 
person leaning from a train and being struck 
from something outside. 

The Patient Porter made them think of 
Sammy Slow-Coach, but he moved a little 
faster and by and by he took the Twins out on 
the observation car. They stayed there until 
he came back saying, “Aunty says you all have 
a surprise waiting for you.” 

The Twins just couldn’t walk back to their 
seats but ran in a hurry and Aunt Matilda in¬ 
troduced them to Peter and Polly Polite, and 
Edgar Education. 

They were jolly children and had such nice 
manners that the Twins liked them at once. 

Then and there on the fourteenth of the 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 21 


month great fun began. The children played 
authors and other games and made up stories, 
and wrote letters home, and had a jolly time. 

That night Nan said, “I shall not be satisfied 
until I tell the story. The engine that carries 
our train is number 13.” 

While Nan was talking Ann fell asleep, and 
Nan soon followed her into dreamland. 

It was strange but they had the same dream 
that night and in the morning told their new 
friends that they had dreamed the Polite Pixie 
took them down the river in a glass-bottomed 
boat, and they dreamed that they saw wonder¬ 
ful plants growing in the water and sea-weed, 
and pebbles, and colored shells. 

The children asked Aunt Matilda if they 
could sit in the other end of the train, and she 
said they might if they would not be noisy and 
forget their manners. 

Polly and Peter Polite said, “Thank you, 
Aunt Matilda.” Edgar Education carried a 
book under his arm. He said, “I want to have 
good manners wherever I am, 



22 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Here is a book that will explain, 

How to have good manners on the train.” 

On arriving in Manners Town every one 
was polite and they found their way to their 
own car while the red-caps took their baggage. 

The children said, “Oh Aunt Matilda, what 
a long journey that was, have we really arrived 
at last?” 

They were glad to undress and tumble into 
bed. Nan said, “I wonder where we will go to¬ 
morrow?” 



CHAPTER 3. 


STREET MANNERS. A WALK AND 
TALK WITH PETER POLITE. 

Everything might have gone well next day 
if Nan had not gotten into disgrace the very 
first thing before Ann was dressed, and before 
any one even thought of breakfast. 

The Pixie tried to stop her and shouted, 
“Heave-ho, mind your craft”; but nothing 
stopped Nan when she made up her mind. 

What do you suppose Nan did? 

She put on her hiking togs and ran out into 
the street and talked to a strange boy and 
jumped right up on his bicycle beside him, and 
they rode away! By eight o’clock that morn¬ 
ing Nan was lost in a strange city, for the 
strange boy got tired of the remarks people 
23 


24 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


made and he made her get off the wheel while 
he rode away. 

Poor Nan was frightened and she was not 
thinking at all about street manners when she 
looked right ahead of her, and as good luck 
would have it, she flew right into the arms of 
Uncle Phil. 

“Where? and when? and how?” she cried. 
“Oh Uncle Phil we did not know you were in 
Seattle.” 

He said, “I think we will go in a street car, 
here is the money, watch sharp, now we pay as 
we go in.” 

Uncle Phil said, when they were riding 
along, “Just suppose you had met a Bold Pi¬ 
rate instead of me, what would have become of 
you, Ann?” 

Nan laughed and said, “Uncle Phil, you 
cannot tell us apart yet can you?” 

When they got home all the children 
hugged Uncle Phil for he was the finest story¬ 
teller in the whole wide world, and all the chil¬ 
dren loved him. 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 25 


Aunt Matilda said it was a serious thing for 
Nan to run away and if she could not learn 
manners she must go right straight home, as 
it was she might spend the day in bed. 

So it was, that Ann accepted Peter Polite’s 
invitation and went out for a walk. 

Peter walked by the curb on the outside and 
said, “I am so glad you came to visit Aunt Ma¬ 
tilda, we will have so much fun together.” 
Peter politely raised his hat when he met any 
one he knew. 

“Said dear little, queer little Peter Polite, 
Be careful, Ann, please pass to the right.” 

As they met a good many people, Peter Po¬ 
lite said it would make much confusion on the 
street if there was not some rule for passing. 

A boy across the street shouted to Peter but 
he and Ann crossed over to talk to him, and 
afterward Peter said, “People in the city as a 
rule do not shout at one another, and they do 
not wave at each other across the street. They 
never try either to attract the attention of 



26 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


strangers but walk in a dignified, business-like 

way.” 

“Dear me,” said Ann, “Nan will have so 
much to learn. She is a regular sport and can’t 
help it.” 

Peter spoke first to an old lady they met, and 
said it was polite to speak first to an older per¬ 
son if a child recognized them first. 

Peter and Ann kept step as they walked and 
Peter said, “I hope you won’t mind if I do not 
ofter my arm, I never do so except at night.” 

Ann said “I am so anxious to learn good 
street manners that I wish you would tell me 
all you know and then I will teach my sister 
Nan.” 

The children saw two people kissing on the 
street, and they stopped and blocked the way 
so other people had to pass around them. 

Peter said, 

“Bow to any friends you meet. 

But never kiss upon the street. 

Just so we will not forget, 

Let’s write a book of Etiquette.” 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 27 


“That is a big word,” said Ann, “but I sup¬ 
pose ‘Etiquette’ means manners.” 

They went into a book store and each of 
them bought a five cent blank book and said 
they would write down everything they could 
learn about manners. 

They saw many beggars and strange look¬ 
ing people on the city streets and Ann asked, 
“Should we drop pennies in the beggar’s cup?” 

Peter said, “By no means speak to a beggar, 
or give him pennies. He may be an impostor 
and should not be begging on the street.” 

Suddenly the street cars stopped and great 
crowds gathered and the children, with the rest 
of the crowd stood still. They asked a Police¬ 
man what was the matter and he said, “THE 
CIRCUS PARADE IS COMING!” 

Ann was very glad that Peter was with her 
and saw how foolish it would have been if she 
had come downtown alone. 

The great Circus Parade came down the 
street. 

There were Camels, and Elephants, and ani- 



28 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


mals in cages, and even the old-fashioned Calli¬ 
ope was there, making music by steam. All 
the traffic had to wait for the Circus Parade 
to pass. 



The ponies looked so inviting that Ann 
longed to have a ride on one, and the Clowns 
threw out candy and flowers and made every¬ 
body laugh. 

After the Circus parade passed Peter took 




Nan and Ann in Manners Town 29 


Ann into the Library. He said, before they 
went in, “We must not say a single word out 
loud, for it is good manners to keep still in a 
Library.” 

Peter took off his cap and the children tip¬ 
toed in quietly while Peter asked for a book, 
as it was not in, they tiptoed out again. 

What do you suppose Nan was doing? 

She just could not possibly content herself in 
bed all day, and so she thought Aunt Matilda 
would not care if she crept about the garret. 

She sat a while on one of the trunks. 

Of course she did not mean to open any of 
the trunks or even peep in. A horsehair trunk 
way over in the corner stood open. “Oh,” 
breathed Nan. “This seems like a Fairy Tale 
come true, for there is a trunk open. I must 
just take a peep and see what is in the old horse¬ 
hair trunk.” 

So she plunged into the old trunk and took 
out piles and piles of fancy dress clothes! 

She put on the costume of a Pierrot, with 
one side red and one side yellow, and wore a 



30 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


great white ruff at her neck, and a cap with a 
silver bell. 

Nan danced before the very mirror Mother 
had written about, singing, a pretty little song, 



for she forgot that she had been sent to bed, 
and how could you blame her, for it is such fun 
to dress up in other people’s clothes! 










Nan and Ann in Manners Town 31 


It was at this very minute that Ann and 
Peter came in and began to tell Aunt Matilda 
and the other children about the big Circus 
Parade, and Nan danced downstairs and for 
half an hour every one thought she belonged to 
the Circus of course. 

Nan had taken fancy dancing lessons and 
found it no trick at all to dance on her toes! 

Aunt Matilda said she had been punished 
enough if she would promise not to go out on 
the street any more in this strange city alone. 
Of course Nan gladly promised. 

That evening the Polite Pixie handed the 
Twins some blank books and pencils and 
asked each one to draw a picture that they had 
seen on the street. 

Nan drew a picture of a girl helping an old 
lady across the street and wrote under her pic¬ 
ture, “Good Street Manners.” 

Ann drew a picture of one girl kissing an¬ 
other on the street, and she wrote under her 
picture, “Bad Street Manners.” 



CHAPTER 4. 


HOUSEHOLD MANNERS. IN 
LOOKING GLASS LAND. 

Next day Nan awoke and said, “Dear me, I 
had a wonderful dream! I thought I was help¬ 
ing a Mermaid comb her golden hair.” 

“Did she have the tail of a fish?” asked Ann. 

Nan nodded and said, “Tell your dream.” 

Ann said, “I dreamed about a Merman and 
he showed me his lovely corals and shells.” 

Just then, suddenly without any warning 
whatever a voice piped up, 

“I have said this thing before, 

Pick your clothes up from the floor. 

You can be careful if you choose, 

And find a place’to put your shoes. 

Oh, it is a shocking sight, 

To see things thrown around at night, 
Please pick up your shoes with care, 

Place them underneath the chair.” 

32 


Nan and Ann in Manners Town 33 


The Twins laughed for everything sprang 
to order as the voice talked and they said, 
“What a funny room we are in, it must be a 
magic room! One thing we did well any way, 
we slept with windows open.” 

The Twins were going into the bath-room 
when a voice fairly shouted, 

“Oh ho, children, wait a minute. 

You left your comb with hairs in it.” 

Then the Polite Pixie came into view for he 
had been talking all the time. He said, “Every 
room in the house has its manners of course, 

As I said before, it is a bore, 

To say, ‘Pick up things from the floor.’ ” 

Nan’s book lay on the floor and Ann’s hair 
ribbon. 

The Polite Pixie said, “At home, or visiting, 
or anywhere, your dresser or bureau ought to 
be in perfect order, picked up on top. It ought 
not to look as though a cyclone had struck it, 
and,” he added, 



34 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“Good Mannered Twins know I suppose, 
Bureau drawers were made to close.” 

The Polite Pixie said, “I suppose you don’t 
want to make any trouble in this house, then 
remember you don’t want to draw water for a 
bath at an unusual hour, and you don’t want 
to make a noise when people are sleeping. Be 
sure not to splash water on the floor or walls, 
and only use what towels you need. 

When you’ve finished your rub and scrub, 
Neatly wash the old Bath Tub, 

And children dear before I ask it, 

Put soiled things in the clothes basket.” 

The Twins aired their beds and were just 
ready to dance downstairs when the Polite 
Pixie called, 

“There you go heels over head, 

Come back at once and make your beds.” 

Now the children started to make their beds 
carelessly and the things pulled this way and 








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36 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


that way, and they stopped to have a regular 
pillow fight. 

Aunt Matilda looked in the door and called. 
“Good morning, what jolly little visitors I 
have.” 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“To have good manners I give warning 
Tear off bed clothing every morning, 
When the bedding is aired completely 
You can make your bed up neatly.” 

My! those were difficult beds to make! 

The Pixie would not allow a fold or wrinkle 
in the beds, and he made the Twins pound the 
pillows so they would stand up straight. 

At last the Twins had their bedrooms spick 
and span and danced downstairs saying 
“Good morning” to every one. 

Peter and Polly Polite and Edgar Educa¬ 
tion rose as they came into the room, and said 
“Good morning.” 

Aunt Matilda said, “Some day I am going 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 37 


to get the Polite Pixie to talk to us about Table 
Manners.” 

He stood at attention in the doorway but 
soon disappeared. 

It began to rain. It rained harder and 
harder, and though the children begged to go 
out, Aunt Matilda said, 

“I would rather have you stay in please, 
Good manners will not let you tease.” 

So, the children decided to be happy in¬ 
doors and roamed all about Aunt Matilda’s 
wonderful house. 

Nan danced before a mirror and heard a 
silvery voice call, 

“I’m the Looking-Glass Girl, please under¬ 
stand, 

I live quite near, in Looking-Glass Land. 

Ann danced before the mirror and the same 
voice called, 

“Step over the frame, now hand in hand 
We will travel in Looking-Glass Land.” 



38 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Boldly, the Twins stepped over the mirror 
frame into Looking-Glass Land. What a 
curious Land it was! 

Everybody imitated everybody else. If you 
smiled, the Looking-Glass people smiled back 
at you! If you frowned all the Looking-Glass 
people frowned and scolded. 

The Twins said, “We really suppose we 
ought not to have come, we forgot to ask Aunt 
Matilda and we are really on our way to Good 
Manners Town.” 

The Twins went into one room where there 
were big mirrors, and little mirrors, and 
middle-sized mirrors, and each one had a story 
to tell. The Twins said, “This is more thrill¬ 
ing than any Fairy Tale we ever read.” 

The little hand mirror began to talk first. 

“Your bedroom manners are very sweet, 

I see your room picked up and neat, 

Your visit to me is quite a treat, 

Your bedroom manners are very sweet.” 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 39 


Nan said, “See, here is a package under my 
pillow.” 

It was addressed, “Nan and Ann from Look¬ 
ing-Glass Land.” 

They eagerly opened the package and found 
two little hand-mirrors. They laughed and 
said, “The Looking-Glass Queen could not 
have been so very angry with us after all.” 

They danced downstairs and shouted, 
“Good morning” to every one and cried, 

“We are so happy you understand? 

We have a present from Looking- 
Glass Land.” 



CHAPTER 5. 


MANNERS AT TABLE. 

One evening Aunt Matilda was invited out 
to dinner and she said the children could have 
their dinner served as usual, and she asked 
them to be polite to the maid who waited on 
them. She said, 

“Nan and Ann I know you’re able, 

To practice good manners at the table.” 

Polly and Peter Polite opened the door for 
Aunt Matilda and Edgar Education ran and 
opened the car door and just then, a neighbor 
child, Greedy Gerty, pushed herself in and said 
she wanted to stay to dinner. 

“Who will sit at the head of the table?” asked 
Nan. 

“I will,” said Ann, but, to her surprise, be¬ 
fore she could get up into Aunt Matilda’s 
chair, the Polite Pixie cried, 

40 


Nan and Ann in Manners Town 41 


“Excuse me, though I heard what’s said 
I will sit here at the head.” 

Greedy Gerty was anxious for the meal to 
begin, but Edgar Education said, “Oh, Polite 
Pixie do you really ever wave a magic wand?” 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“If you sit at table with me, 

You will see what you will see.” 

Which, you see was really no answer at all. 

The boys pulled out chairs for the girls and 
stood until they were seated, then the children 
did not know exactly what to do next, so, as 
the Polite Pixie had used magic, the napkins 
said, 


“Unless you want a sad mishap, 

Open your napkin in your lap.” 

The Polite Pixie smiled as the children 
opened their napkins and put them in their 
laps. 

All the knives stood up and made a bow and 
said in chorus. 



42 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“Good mannered children understand, 
They hold a knife in the right hand; 

Do be careful as you should, 

The knife is made for cutting food. 

Good knife manners say ‘No, no, 

To your mouth I never go;’ 

Good manners we’ll spread far and wide. 
Lay knife and fork now side by side; 

When meal time’s done, at any rate, 

The knife and fork lay on the plate.” 

Nan said, “Oh we wish the forks and spoons 
would tell us what to do.” 

Ann said, “Hark, the forks are going to talk. 
Don’t you hear their silvery voices?” 

They all listened as the forks said, 

“I hope you children understand, 

When eating hold me in the right hand; 

In the left, when cutting food, 

Hold my tines down as you should, 

For vegetables, salads and ice cream, 

To use a fork I know you mean; 

In eating ice cream, it is true, 

Either fork or spoon will do.” 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 43 


The spoons began to dance. 

“Ha! ha! ha!” sang each tiny spoon, 

“We will play a fairy tune.” 

They tapped on the glasses until the Polite 
Pixie brought them to order and then they 
stood in a row and said, 

"We were made to be taken up, 

But don’t leave us in your cup; 

You can learn this very soon, 

In your saucer leave your spoon.” 

Greedy Gerty had begun to stir her cocoa 
and she left her spoon in the cup, and caught 
her sleeve in the spoon; over went the cocoa on 
the nice clean table cloth. She said, “Oh dear, 
I had no manners with my spoon.” 

The children had a jolly meal and the nap¬ 
kins piped up, 

“Good manners are very apt to linger, 

Use us for your mouth and fingers.” 

When the children were noisy in eating, the 
Polite Pixie said, 



44 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“Good manners for girls, good manners for 
boys, 

When eating do not make a noise, 

And never mind what word is spoken, 

Do not eat with your lips open.” 

Some of the children leaned back carelessly 
in their chairs and the Polite Pixie said, 

“I can tell fairy tale and fable, 

Please sit up now at the table; 

And I hope you’ve no excuse, 

For the humble toothpick’s use.” 

“Can’t we use a toothpick at all?” asked Nan 
and Ann. 

The Polite Pixie said, “You can use it away 
from the table.” 

“Ah! ha! sad to relate, 

Greedy Gerty, here’s your plate; 

Don’t pass it oftener than right, 

You can’t eat everything in sight.” 

Edgar Education played with his extra knife 
apd fork while waiting for dessert and the 
Polite Pixie said, 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 45 


“To learn good manners you are able, 
Don’t make noises at the table, 

Learn some lessons every day, 

With your knife and fork don’t play; 

If finger bowls are served politely, 

Dip your fingers in quite lightly; 

It really makes a Pixie laugh, 

To have you splash as in a bath.” 

Peter reached for some butter with his own 
knife and the Polite Pixie scolded, and said 
never to use your own knife and fork for any¬ 
thing on the common dish. He scolded Polly 
for spreading a whole slice of bread and nearly 
boxed Edgar’s ears for spreading a slice of 
bread in his hand. He said, 

“For good manners we will wait, 

Use your bread and butter plate.” 

He scolded the Twins in turn for drinking 
from their saucers. He said they would never 
arrive in Good Manners Town unless they 
learned table manners and he said, 

“If you do not like your food, 

Say ‘No, thank you,’ as you should.” 



46 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


He went on to say if we should ever find a 
speck or hair in food, we should not say a word 
about it. If our biscuit had been scorched at 
the edge it was not polite to mention it. Just 
leave on the plate any food not right to eat. 

He said, “We should be cheerful at the table 
and only talk of pleasant things.” 

Nan jumped down from the table before the 
rest and the Polite Pixie called her back. He 
said, 


“We can learn things like these, 

Use the words ‘Excuse me, please.’ ” 

He said we ought to sit at the table until all 
are ready to leave. 

Greedy Gerty stuffed her apron pockets full 
of nuts and the Polite Pixie said, 

“To like good manners you really should. 

Please don’t carry away your food.” 

Edgar and Peter jumped down to draw out 
the girls’ chairs from the table. 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 47 


It was then that the most surprising thing 
happened. The Polite Pixie said, 

“Little black patch over my eye, 

To use some magic we will try; 

I want this pleasant company, 

To travel with me on the sea.” 

In less time than it takes to tell it, the happy 
company were boarding a vessel that sailed for 
Good Manners Town. The Polite Pixie held 
the tickets and had to explain at length that he 
was quite harmless, and would do no stealing of 
treasures, before they let him on board. 

The vessel set sail and they were soon bound¬ 
ing away across the deep blue sea. 

“Will we see Mermaids?” asked Nan. 

“Will we see Mermen?” asked Ann. 

“We have so many things to learn, 
Everything must have a turn.” 

The Twins held the Polite Pixie’s hands as 
they stood on both sides of him and said, 



48 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“We hope that we are really able. 

To remember good manners at table. 

Like a little tinkling tune, 

Are manners for knife, and fork, and 
spoon. 

Napkin manners also invite. 

Every child to be polite; 

Well mannered children we declare. 

Are always welcome everywhere.” 

They sailed safely home and begged De Soto 
to visit them, but he said he felt like sailing on 
the sea. He and the Polite Pixie sailed away. 

Nan called to the Polite Pixie, “When shall 
we see you again?” 

Ann said, “Don’t desert us altogether.” 

The Twins said, “Oh, Polite Pixie, why do 
you sail away?” 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“Don’t ask so many questions, please, 

I am used to things like these, 

I know you do not mean to tease. 

My home is really on the seas; 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 49 


This may be true, or on April Fool, 

Perhaps I’ll meet you some day in school.” 

With a wave of his hand he was off and away. 
Aunt Matilda kissed the merry children as 
they trooped in and said, “Where did you get 
your lovely coral necklaces?” 



CHAPTER 6. 


MANNERS IN SCHOOL. 

Nan and Ann woke up very happy one 
day, singing, 

“Manners in school, manners in school, 

Be on time is a good rule.” 

They ran downstairs merrily and said, “Oh 
Aunt Matilda, are we really and truly going to 
school to-day?” 

Aunt Matilda laughed at the Twins and 
said, 

“Yes, indeed as I remember, 

School begins now in September.” 

The Twins had never been to school very 
much, but had studied with Mother at home. 
They said, “We wonder if we will have any 
school manners at all. Oh, Aunt Matilda, do 

50 


Nan and Ann in Manners Town 51 


suggest some things we can learn in the way of 
school manners before we get there.” 

Aunt Matilda said, “You can be on time, 
and go regularly as long as you visit me, and 
you can dress neatly, and speak politely to your 
teacher. You can have good lessons and treat 
your schoolmates well, and take care of your 
school books and all school property.” 

The Twins’ eyes grew big and round and 
they said, “We have tusseled so much with boys, 
we can fight if we have to, and Oh, Aunt 
Matilda, we hope no one will point us out and 
say ‘Aren’t the Twins cute?’ We just cannot 
stand it to have people stare at us and make 
remarks.” 

Aunt Matilda knew some of the boys and 
girls who went to that school and she said, “I 
hope you will not make fun of Dora Dunce and 
Bertha Button-Off, and I know you will like 
Fannie Favorite, and Karl Know-It-All has 
some reason to be proud of his knowledge. I 
hope Ben Bully, who teases all the new chil¬ 
dren, will leave you alone.” 



52 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


The Twins started merrily to school and it 
was Ben Bully who met them on the play¬ 
ground and began to make fun of their bobbed 
hair and said, “Aren’t we cute, little Twin 
sisters.” 

Out flew Nan’s right arm and Ann’s right 
arm and then and there, while the other chil¬ 
dren stared, they laid the Bully low and 
marched proudly into the schoolroom. 

The teacher, Miss Minnie Manners, was 
pretty, and sweet, and polite, and showed Nan 
and Ann their seats, and gave them books, and 
they began to feel at home when the whole 
school sang “America.” The teacher said, 
when Nan answered a question, “I like the way 
you speak out, so clearly and distinctly,” and 
she said to Ann, “I like to see you stand up so 
straight with arms at your side when you re¬ 
cite.” 

It was Tommy Tattle-Tale who told the 
teacher that the Twins could fight and that they 
had been more than a match for Ben Bully. 
Miss Manners said, 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 53 


“Tommy Tattle-Tale, when will you learn, 

To hold your tongue, good manners to earn?” 

Tommy Tattle-Tale was ashamed and 
Freddy Fun made fun of Dora Dunce when 
she did not know her times table. Miss Man¬ 
ners took him aside afterwards and said, 

“Do not make fun by night or day, 

Of any one in any way.” 

She said Dora Dunce was very poor and had 
a hard time at home and she wanted the chil¬ 
dren all to help her learn. She said little Bertha 
Button-Off might do better if some one would 
help her sew buttons on her shoes. 

The Twins were favorites at once and all 
the children crowded about them at recess 
when they were ready to play a Politeness 
game. 

They stood in a circle and tossed a ball from 
the center to any child who must say “thank 
you” before he returned the ball. If he failed 
to say “thank you” the children clapped him 



54 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


out. They all sang to the tune of “Lightly 

Row,” 



“Thank you say, thank you say. 
In your games now every day; 
Thank you say, thank you say, 
Be polite we pray. 

Bouncing ball is lots of fun, 
Now our play time has begun; 
Thank you say, thank you say. 
Happy holiday.” 








Nan and Ann in Manners Town 55 


Every once in a while some child would for¬ 
get to say “thank you,” and be out of the game. 

They played another politeness game. 
They chose one child to stand in the center 
of the circle they formed. This child said, 

“To Politeness Land who has the key? 

Run inside and answer me.” 

The first child to run in and say, “Excuse me. 
Beg Pardon, If you please,” or any other polite 
expression, changed places with her and the 
game continued. They sang in connection 
with this game a song to the tune of “Yankee 
Doodle,” 


Oh to Good Manners Town we go, 
So early in the morning, 

Oh to Good Manners Town we go, 
We give you all fair warning. 

Chorus: 

Say, “Excuse me,” if you please, 
Do not be unruly: 



56 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Use some little words like these, 

Be good mannered truly. 

2 . 

Oh to Good Manners Town we go, 

And this is what we’re saying; 

Oh to Good Manners Town we go. 

Polite in work or playing. 

The bell rang and the children hurried back 
into the schoolroom. Ben Bully tripped 
Tommy Tattle-Tale and they made a great 
noise. 

Miss Manners said in her sweet, quiet voice, 

“To apologize I understand, 

Means politeness in Manners Land.” 

Ben Bully and Tommy Tattle-Tale went 
right up to Miss Manners and said, “Do 
please excuse us for being so noisy.” 

Miss Manners said, “I accept your apology 
and we will march a while to get quiet after 
our recess game.” 

They marched and then copied a verse from 
the board. 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 57 


Tick, tock, tick, tock, 

Very good mannered is the clock; 

Do you like my simple rhyme? 

Always in my place on time. 

Regular and prompt you see, 

Mean good manners for you and me. 

Tick, tock, tick, tock, 

Now I hear your gentle knock; 

All day long I tick away. 

It is my business to obey; 

I do the best that’s in my power, 

And always point to you the hour. 

The children copied the clock’s face and 
wrote under the verse—“Regular—Prompt— 
Obedient.” 

When they had a lesson on Japan, Edgar 
Education said, “I am glad I do not have to 
study in Japan, for instead of twenty-six letters 
to the alphabet, they have forty-seven to learn, 
and many characters that mean words, and sen¬ 
tences, and their books begin at the back and 
not like ours do in the front, and the lines run 
up and down the pages and not across. The 



58 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


children copy what the teacher puts on the 
blackboard with brush and ink. They play a 
game called ‘One Hundred Verses of One 
Hundred Poets,’ in which they learn the names 
and verses of poets.” 

Then Miss Manners read the following 
story. It was called, “The First Day of 
School”: 

“Once upon a time Fairy Faithful said, ‘I 
will go to school and see if I cannot see a few 
things for myself instead of always hearing 
stories from my Grandmother.’ 

“Fairy Faithful said, ‘I see it is the first day 
of school and some children are so timid and 
shy and hardly any one knows where to go or 
what to do. Ah! ha! here is a little new 
teacher and it is her first day too. I will wave 
my magic wand and make every one patient 
with everybody else and make things go 
smoothly.’ 

“Things went very well until the Fairy 
found a proud girl who bragged about her new 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 59 


shoes and hair ribbon, and a careless boy who 
made fun of a boy who stuttered. 

“Then Fairy Faithful waved her wand and 
even tapped these children on their shoulders, 
but she could not make them behave. 

“The Fairy said, ‘I will take them with me 
to Topsy-Turvy Land.’ 

“She took the children with her and the 
proud little girl had to wear old shoes and 
the careless boy began to stutter himself. The 
Fairy said, 

“ ‘Things are upside down you understand, 
In this queer Topsy-Turvy Land.’ 

“The children had so much trouble they 
longed to go home. The Proud Girl had her 
feelings hurt when the children made fun of 
her poor clothes, and the Careless Boy was so 
ashamed of his stuttering that they said, 

“ ‘Our lessons on manners aye just begun, 
Never make fun of any one.’ 

“As soon as they had learned their lesson 



60 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


the Fairy waved her wand and they were back 
in their own school. After that they never 
made fun of any one who wore poor clothes or 
who limped or stuttered, or was peculiar in any 
way. The Fairy said, 

“ ‘It does you good you understand 
To go to Topsy-Turvy Land; 

It gives you a kind of grace. 

To stand in some one else’s place. 9 ” 

Miss Manners had many pleasant surprises 
in her school. She had the children cut keys 
from cardboard and write upon them. She 
said, “These are Politeness keys.” 

The Twins picked up the books about the 
room and returned the borrowed book and 
said, “We never knew before that books could 
really talk and had feelings like ourselves.” 

Next day, the Twins went merrily off to 
school and found the children excitedly stand¬ 
ing and talking in groups. They said, “We are 
to help Miss Manners plan a school party. It 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 61 


will be a Thanksgiving party and we will all 
help her of course.” 

Miss Manners said they could invite the 
fifth grade from the other school. 

“Now,” she said, “Let us consider what we 
have to plan for.” 

“Invitations,” cried the Twins. 

“Refreshments,” cried Karl Know-It-All. 

“Entertainment,” cried Bertha Button-Off. 

“Decoration,” cried Dora Dunce. 

Miss Manners said, “We will talk about our 
invitations first. If they were to be very formal, 
we would write notes and put them in enve¬ 
lopes, but as it is to be a school party we will 
write our invitations neatly on cards and you 
can decorate the cards in any way you wish.” 

My! the children had fun making the invita¬ 
tions. Some of them printed on their cards a 
picture of a turkey, and some of them printed 
a picture of a spinning wheel, and some of 
them printed a “Horn of Plenty” or a pump¬ 
kin, but everything suggested Thanksgiving. 
Miss Manners liked the cards, but said perhaps 



62 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


they had better decide who had the best picture 
and then make them all alike. They decided 
the turkey with outspread wings was the best 
and on the card they wrote the invitation, 

“The Pupils of Miss Manners’ School invite 
you to a party at the school, November 29th, at 
8 o’clock. R.S.V.P.” 

“What do the letters at the end mean?” asked 
Dora Dunce. 

The Twins said, “They mean—Reply, If 
You Please.” 

Miss Manners said, 

“To have good manners we all will try, 

To a written invitation send a written reply.” 

She said they would have to know how many 
children were coming, so they could tell how 
many refreshments to prepare. She said they 
must make their refreshments attractive and 
not spend too much money, for they would 
want to give other school parties that year. 

They planned to decorate the room with 
chrysanthemums and to wear Puritan and In- 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 63 


dian costumes. They looked up history and 
chose names that they found of Puritans and 
Indians and printed them on their paper caps. 
Massasoit stood at the door to welcome the 
guests and Priscilla introduced them to a table 
which contained red apples piled high. To 
each apple was attached a string which led the 
guest to his partner and they had a merry time. 

After all the children had partners they had 
a grand march which ended in a song, sung to 
the tune of “Jingle Bells,” 

“We are bright and gay, 

Upon glad Thanksgiving Day; 

Pausing in our play, 

It is this we sing and say, 

Praises for our food, 

And for all things bright and good, 
Sing hurrah Thanksgiving Day, we 
welcome you once more. 

Chorus: 

Hear the bells, hear the bells. 

Ringing from each sleigh; 

Hear the bells, hear the bells, 



64 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Upon glad Thanksgiving Day. 

Hear the bells, hear the bells, 

And our laughter gay; 

Merry, merry are the bells, 

Upon glad Thanksgiving Day.” 

Nan and Ann rang sleigh bells softly, and 
one by one the guests were blindfolded, and 
sent to pin a string of sleigh bells on the horses 
and sleigh they had drawn on a sheet and 
pinned up in a doorway. Bursts of merry 
laughter followed, for no one could pin the 
bells on the harness where they belonged. 

They had dinner and many guessing games 
and stunts followed. They enjoyed their 
candy which was served in a hoilow pumpkin. 

They had so much fun they decided some 
day to have a postal card party and tell some¬ 
thing about the cards they brought. 

They told stories of Puritans and stories of 
Indians and many interesting things about the 
long ago. 

The Polite Pixie came in, almost out of 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 65 


breath and said, “Here I am almost late. Of 
course, for no one thought to send me an invi¬ 
tation until the last moment and then a raft 
came floating by and took me and my copper 
kettle on board. I rubbed it up and a voice 
said, 

‘If hungry you should ever feel, 

Just rub me up and order a meal.’ 

“I rubbed the kettle just like this and ordered 
whatever I wanted. It always came. So now I 
say, 

‘Little kettle, so neat and handy. 

Give us a shower of fine candy.’ ” 

The children crowded round and the little 
kettle held candy full to overflowing. The 
Polite Pixie threw it up in the air, again and 
again, it returned full of more candy than they 
could eat. He said, 

“On stilts I’ll off and away, 

And play a joke on Thanksgiving Day; 

To every little child I meet, 

I’ll give some candy for a treat; 



66 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Into the windows as I go, 

Candy sweet I will bestow.” 

The Polite Pixie was off and away and the 
children cried, “What a wonderful story! 
What a wonderful kettle!” 

The children danced and the boys were so 
polite they tried to see that every one had a 
good time and had a partner. 

Nan never grew tired of dancing, hut Ann 
sometimes sat dow r n and w r atched the others. 
Miss Manners introduced the shy children to 
each other and they all had a lovely time at the 
school party. All the children shook hands 
wuth Miss Manners when they said good-by 
and some of them said, “We had a lovely 
party,” and some of them said, “We thank you 
for a good time,” and they all went merrily 
homeward. 

Miss Manners saw that the older children 
took the younger ones home and they all cried, 
“Hurrah! hurrah! for the Thanksgiving 
party.” 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 67 


It had been snowing and some of the children 
walked home and some of them went in sleighs. 

The Twins told many things they were 
thankful for that night and said, 

“We’re gayly walking up and down, 

We’re on the road to Manners Town.” 

They reviewed their politeness lessons. 

Nan said, 

“To remember politeness I will try, 

A written invitation means a like reply.” 

Ann said, 

“ ’Tis a useful bit of politeness please, 

To make your guests all feel at ease.” 

Nan said, 

“In a school party you understand, 
Every one must lend a hand.” 

Ann said, 

“Another useful thing I guess 
Is to wear a simple dress.” 

The Twins fell asleep to be wakened by a 



68 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


gentle “tap, tap, tap” on the window. A voice 
said, 

“Will you return to-day or to-morrow, 

That book you happened now to borrow?” 

The Twins said, “To-morrow, to-morrow! 
How many bits of politeness we are learning. 
We wonder if we will have a real adventure to¬ 
morrow.” 

They fell asleep, to dream of Pixies and hid¬ 
den treasures and Thanksgiving parties. 

Next morning they told Aunt Matilda all 
about their good time. She said, 

“As this is happy Thanksgiving Day, 

We all will ride out in the sleigh.” 

She had six baskets packed full of good 
things for poor people and they all rode merrily 
along. 

Nan would run up to one door and say, “We 
wish you a happy Thanksgiving Day,” and 
Ann would run up to another door and say, 
“Best wishes for Thanksgiving,” and Peter 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 69 


and Polly and Edgar cried, “Hurrah! hurrah! 
for Thanksgiving.” 

They had a fine Thanksgiving dinner at 
home and after dinner they played games. 

The Twins wrote up a long verse. They 
wrote, 

“We learned politeness at our party, 

And replied to the invitation hearty; 

To remember we’ll always try, 

To our hostess to say good-by; 

Manners at home and on the train, 

We have learned, let us explain, 

Bedroom manners and street manners too.” 

“Merry Christmas time draws near, 

And Santa Claus will soon appear.” 

Aunt Matilda said, “It is a fine plan for you 
to help Santa Claus and I will give you two 
dollars for dolls.” 

Aunt Ella Etiquette said, “I will give you 
two dollars too.” 

“What is that?” asked Uncle Earnest Eti¬ 
quette. 

When the Twins patiently explained their 





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, 




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Nan and Ann in Manners Town 71 


plans he give them a crisp five dollar bill, and 
they danced downtown and bought more dolls 
than you ever dreamed of, and spent many 
happy hours in the garret, dressing them from 
pieces which they found in the old trunks. 

The weeks went by and one day Nan began 
to feel a tiny bit homesick and Ann dropped 
her sewing and said, “I wonder what it will be 
like to spend Christmas in a great city. I won¬ 
der how we shall feel on Christmas day away 
from home.” 

The Polite Pixie began to feel homesick for 
his great great grandfather, so he suggested 
they go for a ride at once. He bundled the 
Twins into a sleigh and drove himself. He at¬ 
tracted a great deal of attention, because he 
would wear the patch over his eye of course. 
They drove north and drove away, away, away. 
At evening they came near a little house and 
saw the lights twinkle, twinkle. The Polite 
Pixie shouted, 

“Ha! ha! ’tis a jolly time of year, 

And Santa Claus’ work-shop is right here. 



72 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


The, twins were excited, you may be sure. 
Just as they rapped on the work-shop door a 
trap-door opened, and Santa Claus and Mrs. 
Santa Claus disappeared, but a walking- 
talking doll opened the door and begged them 
to come in. There were dolls and toys of every 
kind. A woolly Lamb began to bleat, and a 
tiny train of cars ran on the track, and a rocking 
horse rocked to and fro. 

It was a jolly place, you may be sure. 

The Polite Pixie said it was.their duty to 
telephone Aunt Matilda and tell her where they 
were, so she would not worry about them. He 
did so, and Nan said, “Where is Santa Claus?” 
Ann said, “Where is Mrs. Santa Claus?” 

A letter came from mother. She said, 

“Dear Twins: 

“I hope you are doing your duty every day 
at home, and in school, to yourselves, and to 
others. It is your duty to form habits while 
you are young and don’t forget your duty to 
write letters home. 

“Your father will eome for you in January, 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 73 


soon after Christmas, so have all the good times 
you can and do your duty to every one, spe¬ 
cially to the old people. I hope you have trav¬ 
eled miles and miles towards Manners Town. 

“Your loving Mother.” 

The Polite Pixie said, “This is something 
like a game. Good manners set us way ahead, 
and bad manners set us back.” 

“Like disputes,” said Nan. 

“Like interruptions,” said Ann. 

Now that the Twins were soon to go home 
they did not know whether to be glad or sorry. 

Arnold Acknowledge-It telephoned, 

“To Mother’s letter please reply. 

Don’t put it off for by and by.” 

Robbie Return-It said, “The New Sand-Man 
left his book of Sleepy-Songs. Do return it at 
once by mail.” 

The Twins did all that was asked and said, 

“We are happy, come what may, 

We do our duty every day.” 



CHAPTER 7. 


MANNERS IN PUBLIC. 

Nan said, “Christmas day away from home 
and Christmas coming on Sunday too. Oh 
Ann, what shall we do?” 

Ann said, “We are to have our presents this 
evening any way and we are soon going home, 
so let us make the best of it.” She spoke cheer¬ 
fully, though she did feel a bit homesick. 

The chimes were ringing from the church 
nextdoor and the Twins thought they sang 
words as well as ringing a beautiful tune. 

“Chiming bells, chiming bells, 

Ring at Christmas morn; 

Chiming bells, chiming bells, 

Christ, the Lord, is born. 

Everywhere the golden chime, 

Is ringing in glad Christmas time.” 

74 


Nan and Ann in Manners Town 75 


That evening as they were ready to have 
their presents around the Christmas tree, a 
group of young people came and sang Christ¬ 
mas carols. 

The Twins decided that Christmas in a city 
was not so bad after all. 

The Polite Pixie evidently forgot that it 
was Christmas, for he was so happy to find 
the little book on Manners he had lost, he kept 
shouting all kinds of directions to the 1 wins. 
He said, 

“I like your smiling happy faces, 

Do you have good manners in public places?” 

“What places are you talking about?” asked 
Nan. 

“What places do you mean?” asked Ann. 
The Polite Pixie said, “I suppose you know 
enough not to shout when you go up the steps 
of a Public Library, and not to whistle when 
you go to visit an Art Gallery. 

“To have good manners this is true, ^ 
Don’t attract attention, whatever you do.” 



76 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


The Twins had a Merry Christmas and 
lovely presents, but they had the finest time of 
all, long after the others had gone to bed. 

“I cannot sleep,” said Nan. 

“I am too excited to keep still,” said Ann. 

They decided to put on their slippers that 
looked exactly alike, and their dressing gowns 
that looked exactly alike, and creep down as 
silently as possible and look at the wonderful 
Christmas tree. 

“There is some one talking,” whispered the 
Twins. They sat down in their two new red 
rocking chairs and a voice began, 

“I am the Spirit of Christmas. I am here, 
and there, and everywhere. If you traveled 
with me over the wide world you would see no 
one can keep me outside. I am in the air, and I 
float as light as thistle-down. Everywhere it is 
Christmas!” 

The Tree cried, “How shall I know when 
Christmas is coming? Every tree in the woods 
is eagerly waiting and swaying in the breeze 
and saying, ‘Shall I be chosen? Shall I go? 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 77 


Shall I hold a hundred candles on Christmas 
eve?’ ” 

The candles said, “We all know when Christ¬ 
mas is coming. So many customers! Such 
crowded stores! And then the bustle and ex¬ 
citement of the happy people who get in a 
crowd and say ‘Christmas is coming.’ ” 

“I know something too,” said one candle 
that had been left lighted on the tree by mis¬ 
take. “I know what it means to burn a candle 
at both ends.” 

“Do tell us,” murmured the other candles. 

The candle said, “In Merry Old England 
long ago candle-sticks were made so we 
were pushed up through the center and our two 
ends, one at right, and one at the left, were 
lighted.” 

“That is interesting, tell some more,” cried 
the candles. 

The Christmas Star on top of the tree cried. 
“You all know the story of the Christmas Star 
in the East leading the Wise Men, yet every 
Christmas time the story is new, as well as old, 



78 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


and the Star on the Christmas tree gleams to 
remind you we are led upward by loving and 
giving.” 

The Mistletoe and Holly began to dance. 
They danced until they looked like real fairies 
and sang, 

“To be sad now would be folly. 

Hang high the mistletoe and holly; 

At Christmas time we all are jolly, 

Hang high the mistletoe and holly.” 

They danced such a merry dance Nan and 
Ann began to dance too, in their new little slip¬ 
pers, and they danced themselves up to bed and 
into Dreamland. 

Next day they wrote a play about the Spirit 
of Christmas and the next day they began to 
think about going home. 

Arnold Acknowledge-It, was right at their 
elbow and shouted, 

“Please listen now to what I say. 

Acknowledge your presents right away; 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 79 


Acknowledge them and be polite, 

Use the telephone, or a note please write.” 

The Twins wrote notes, and letters, and 
Robbie Return-It, said, “Are you sure you will 
remember to return everything before you Start 
on your journey home?” 

Arnold Acknowledge-It, said, “I do have 
such a hard time at Christmas and all through 
the holidays, for some people will not listen 
to me at all, and some - people I have to remind 
over and over.” 

She helped the Twins back over the picture 
frame and they said, “It was exciting to hear 
Nero roar. We are glad we are safely back in 
the picture gallery. When we get home we 
will try to see some of the pictures Rosa Bon- 
heur painted.” 

Uncle Phil said, “You will soon be going 
home now and will have to say good-by to 
us. I hope you will have a good time in 
Manners Town.” 

The Twins said, “We wonder how long we 
will stay in Manners Town.” 




80 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Uncle Phil said, “Do you ever review your 
manners and do you practise good manners 
every day and are you ever rude to each other?” 

The Twins both began to talk at once, and 
Uncle Phil said, 

“I love your little voices sweet, 

But you make too much noise on the street.” 

They said good-night by and by to Uncle 
Phil, and Aunt Matilda; and wrote a letter 
home to Mark. They said, “Next week we 
will start home.” 

As it happened they did not start home next 
week, or the next, or the next, for Nan began 
to act queer, and as luck would have it, they 
both came down with the measles, on the same 
hour of the same day! 

They said, “A measles sign on the house, and 
a doctor and nurse very likely! Oh dear, what 
would Mother say?” 

Aunt Matilda said, “My maid will wait on 
you, my dears, and I will keep the shade pulled 
down so your eyes will keep well, and you must 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 81 


be as good as can be, and every evening I will 
read or tell you a story.” 

“Thank you, Aunt Matilda,” said the Twins 
soberly. 

My! how long the days were! 

The Polite Pixie came every little while 
and remarked, “Even measles can’t last for¬ 
ever and if you are cheerful when you are sick 
and people least expect it, you are miles and 
miles nearer Manners Town.” 

“Tell us more about the Town,” begged the 
Twins. “What will we do when we really get 
there?” 

The Polite Pixie said, “There are so many 
odd bits of politeness to learn. Anywhere you 
go you are likely to see people who are lame, 
or cross-eyed, or have some peculiarity and you 
must learn never to call attention to their de¬ 
fects, for 

Good manners is to do and say. 

The kindest thing in every way; 

The golden rule applies to you, 

To do as you’d have done to you. 



82 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


The Polite Pixie went out and came in and 
began to limp and said, “Be careful now of 
your conversation and whatever you do, don’t 
talk to me about lameness.” 

He said, 

“You can practise things like these, 

As well as ‘Thank You,’ and ‘If You 

Please’; 

Use your magic as I have said, 

You’re not really sick-a-bed.” 

The Twins said, “We are in such a hurry to 
get well and go to Manners Town and then 
home. We wonder what is going on in the 
Little Log House.” 

If they could have looked in at the Little 
Log House that minute they would have had 
a wonderful surprise. 

The Polite Pixie said, “If I came to visit 
my Aunt Matilda and she gave me the very 
best time in the world, I would not appear too 
anxious to leave, and go home. 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 83 


“To your hostess be polite, 

Every morning, noon and night; 

When you leave be sure to write, 

To your hostess be polite.” 

The Twins passed happy hours with the 
Polite Pixie and said, “We do hope you will 
take the next trip with us.” 

The Polite Pixie disappeared suddenly, say¬ 
ing, “I feel the longing for adventure. Heave- 
ho, my vessel is now in sight.” 

“Don’t leave us yet,” cried the Twins, “re¬ 
member we are sick-a-bed with measles.” 

“There you go—impolite and selfish,” cried 
the Pixie. “Sick people are apt to be selfish 
and think only of themselves. I know people 
who are sick-a-bed for years, and years, and 
yet they do not tell their troubles to every¬ 
body.” 

“Suppose I ask you to sail with me, 

Tell me, what will the answer be?” 

“Hurrah!” cried the Twins. “Take us sail¬ 
ing, please.” 



84 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Aunt Matilda called, “Be sure to keep your 
arms under cover. Be sure to keep warm.” 

“Thank you, Aunt Matilda,” cried the 
Twins. 

The Polite Pixie said a magic verse and 
they were soon off to visit Sarah Slang, and 
Sally Sick-A-Bed. 



CHAPTER 8. 

SARAH SLANG AND SALLY 
SICK-A-BED. 


Sarah Slang cried, “Oh gee, 

Here is a surprise for you and me.” 

Sally Sick-A-Bed said, “What kind of a sur¬ 
prise is coming? Do tell me what you see at 
the window.” 

Sarah Slang was as kind-hearted as any one 
could be. She had only one bad fault, and that 
was using slang she heard on the street and in 
her own home. She said, “I’ve put my lamps 
on a peach of a vessel and I do believe it has a 
Pixie in it.” 

“Look again, is there any one else in the ves¬ 
sel?” asked Sally Sick-A-Bed. 

“.There are a pair of Twins—oh cute Twins, 
85 


86 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


the very peach of twins, and so alike I can’t 
tell tother from which.” 

“Open the window wider. Maybe I can see 
them sail by,” said Sally. As Sarah did so, 
whiz, bang, came the vessel and in it sailed, 
without any warning whatever. 

“Well, you have plenty of nerve and pep,” 
said Sarah, staring hard at the Twins. 

The Polite Pixie took off his cap, and made a 
low bow and said, 

“I beg your pardon, if you please, 

I sail on quite uncertain seas.” 

Sally began to laugh, and Sarah began to 
laugh, and Ann and Nan laughed, and soon 
they all became well acquainted. 

The Twins said, “Oh Sally, how can you 
stand it to lie abed year in, and year out?” 

Sally said, “I have my Play Of Days. There 
are the holidays. I always make the most of 
them, and the week days are always interesting 
too.” 










» 
















































































































































































88 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“What do you mean by the ‘Play Of Days’?” 
asked the Twins eagerly. 

Sally said, “Well, as this is Monday, we will 
play school. Sarah is teacher and as we have a 
large class to-day, we will all spell, and recite, 
and read, and write, and have a real little 
school, and play games, and sing pretty songs.' 
When I am alone I line up the dolls and recite 
for them.” 

After awhile the children said, “Do tell us 
what you do on Tuesday.” 

Sally said, “Tuesday is Doll Dress-Making 
Day. Let us play it is Tuesday for a while. 
Dolly Dimple,, come and show yourself. You * 
say you want a silk dress. Very well, bring me ; 
my thread and scissors and pattern box. Tight 
skirt, short sleeves, very well, you have ideas 
in your china head, I am sure. Here comesl 
the Rag Doll with her apron-string gone.”—1 
“Not my fault at all,” she said in her ragged 
voice, “for it was chewed off by the puppy next! 
door.”—“Here is my little bisque doll and my 
big, old doll, both with buttons off their dresses 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 89 


if you please. All these others will have to wait 
while I dress Dolly Dimple. Lay down the 
pattern and make her silk dress. What is that? 
A silk hat to match? Cut me a circle of card¬ 
board to be sure, cut out a circle in the center 
and fit the cardboard circle over Dolly 
Dimple’s head. Now cut a long piece of cloth 
and gather it round the cardboard circle. Cut 
a circle of silk for the crown and gather it on. 
With strings the hat is complete for Dolly 
Dimple to wear.” 

“How sweet,” murmured the Twins. “We 
wish your Tuesday would never end.” 

“Well, Wednesday is coming. Take the 
dolls away, please, and help me clean the decks 
for action. Wednesday is knitting day. Here 
is my knitting bag and my samples. See my 
pretty samples. See my pretty yarns. I make 
samples of every new stitch any one can teach 
me. See, I have knitted a sweater for my dolls, 
and then one for my little brother. See, I am 
crocheting a shawl for Mother. How the busy 
knitting needles fly! How the crochet needle 



90 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


bounds along! See, I tie in a piece of white 
thread to-day, so I can see where I started and 
how much I do to-day. 

“Happy me, happy me, 

Tho I am sick-a-bed you see, 

I think of others every day, 

In my work and in my play.” 

“Oh we wish Wednesday would never end,” 
said the Twins, “but we will teach you the 
‘afghan’ stitch, and show you how to make 
some reins for baby brother, and when we go 
home we will send you some bells to put on the 
reins, so when he wears them for a harness 
the bells will tinkle, tinkle.” 

Sally said, 

“Thursday is postal card day. Dear me, first 
I must put my album in order, sort the cards, 
and re-arrange them. Then I will write five 
postals to friends far away, and it will be a 
happy day if I receive a postal card, for then 
Mother and I sit down with our geography 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 91 


and find out everything we can about the place 
from which the card came.” 

“I’ll send you a postal,” cried the Polite 
Pixie. 

j “I’ll send you one every week,” said Nan. 

Ann looked in her pocket and took out a 
postal card she had received from Japan and 
they had the finest time telling everything they 
knew about the Japanese. 

Nan said, “Keep the card please.” 

Sally said, “Thank you,” politely and “Now 
here comes Friday—basket day. I make reed 
or raffia baskets on Friday. 

“A basket, a basket. 

Before you ask it, 

Here is a present, a hand-made basket. 

“How did you learn to make them?” asked 
the Twins. 

Sally said, “A book, borrowed from the Li¬ 
brary, showed me how, and I earned money for 
materials by taking care of baby and copying 
recipes for Mother.” 



92 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


The Polite Pixie whispered, “When you 
make baskets for the Twins do be sure and 
make them exactly alike. 

“Baskets, baskets, every one wants a scrap - 
basket, or market-basket, or work-basket for 
Christmas. I tell you, the basket days are busy 
days indeed. 

“Saturday is silk quilt, or rag rug day. Sew 
them hit or miss, and oh the lovely bright 
colors. See the red and blue and yellow. 

“Every stitch must be made neatly, 
Everything done quite completely. 

“How I .enjoy making up stories of every bit 
of silk in my quilt. I like to tell where every] 
piece came from. 

“Sunday comes at last and I read my Sunday 
School Lesson, and watch the time, and sing 
my hymns, and learn one verse by heart. Then 
I am reading and writing Bible stories, and 
Mother plays the talking machine, so I hear the 
great choir singing, and on sunshiny days'] 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 93 

Father carries me into the Sun Parlor and I 
rest and enjoy Sunday best of all.” 

Tell about the Holidays, please,” whispered 
the Twins. “You are teaching us more hap¬ 
piness and contentment and pretty plays than 
we could learn in years and years.” 

“Gee whiz, is that so?” asked Sarah. 

“You have to choose your holidays, of 
course,” said Sally. “Here is a grab bag. Nan 
may grab first.” 

As Nan took out a flag Sally said, “That 
is Washington’s birthday, so to celebrate I 
have my room done up in red, white and blue 
paper chains and flags, of course. Then we 
dress the dolls as George and Martha Wash¬ 
ington and all day long it is a Red, White and 
Blue day, and we may even have red and blue 
sugar, on our cookies, and Mother keeps pretty 
paper napkins in a box for all occasions.” 

Ann grabbed next and took out a small val¬ 
entine heart. 

Sally said, “Valentines make so much fun. 
We put up paper valentines and make valen- 



94 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


tines, of course, and it takes hours and hours 
to compose a verse to write on a valentine 
heart.” 

“You ought to have the Pixie around. He 
can make sixty verses in sixty minutes,” said 
the Twins. 

The Polite Pixie drew from the grab bag 
a stocking—a Christmas stocking, of course. 

Sally said, “I am having more fun with my 
Christmas stocking. I work on it every month 
except December. In it I put a toy, or dressed 
doll, or bit of work started for every month in 
the year. On one package I write ‘Open this 
in September’; on another ‘Open this in Oc¬ 
tober’ and so on. When my Christmas stock¬ 
ing is finished I will send it to some other little 
girl who is lame, or a Shut-In, like I am. 

Sarah drew from the grab bag a tiny bird- 
house made from a small cigar box. 

“Arbor and Bird-Day,” shouted the Twins. 
“Oh what fun! Names of birds, habits of 
birds, houses for birds and, trees. What a won¬ 
derful Play-Day.” 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 95 


Sally herself made a grab and took out a 
paper carnation for Mother’s Day. She said, 
“On Mother’s Day I plan little ways I can 
save Mother. I can make out a list of every¬ 
thing she needs in the kitchen as she calls up, 
‘We are out of matches and Baking Powder 
and butter. Do write me a shopping list. I 
want to remember number 60 white thread; 
and can you find time to darn Bobby’s socks 
and make Mother a stove lifter, and perhaps 
you could polish up the silver spoons. They 
need so much rubbing.’—I love Mother’s Day 
best of all. 

“I often sing, as I work away, to the tune of 
‘Lightly Row,’ 

Mother’s Day, Mother’s Day, 

Help her now in work and play; 
Mother’s Day, Mother’s Day, 

Help her every way. 

Mother’s willing helper see, 

Mother’s comfort you can be; 

Mother’s Day, Mother’s Day, 

Help her every way. 



96 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“Then there are the Rainy Days and Sunny 
Days, the History Days and Music Days. See, 
I will play a little for you on my guitar. I pick 
out tunes by ear and am learning notes, so I 
can soon read music. Oh, I am busy, as busy 
can be. 

Tinkle, tinkle light guitar, 

Sing of troubadours afar; 

Tinkle, tinkle, fast and slow, 

Sing of days of long ago; 

Tinkle, tinkle, little tune, 

Happy days are coming soon. 

“Then there are Rainbow Days, when I play 
with my prism, and Soap-Bubble Days, and 
Visitor Days, and all my days are busy and 
merry and glad.” 

“Don’t you get tired lying in bed after all?” 
asked the Twins. 

Sally said, 

“My spirit travels miles and miles, 

I light the way with happy smiles. 

“I almost forgot,” she said, “to tell you about 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 97 


my Clipping Days. I keep envelopes for 
stamps, and poems, and stories, and cut them 
from old newspapers for the children to enjoy. 

“The very best way on the road to health 
Is to think of others beside yourself. 

“And then there is Work-Basket Day, when 
I put everything in Mother’s work-basket in 
order, and do a little embroidery myself. 

“On Mother Goose Day I pretend I am one 
of the characters from Mother Goose, and say 
over and over the verse and make a whole 
Mother Goose village by cutting the children 
out of newspaper. 

“On Columbus Day I am a sailor and sail 
in the Nina, Pinta, or Santa Maria.” 

The Polite Pixie said, “All the vessels are 
at your service. 

We are in the suburbs of Manners Town, 

Just a sail and we’ll settle down; 

I really hope you do not care, 



98 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Happiness is a hidden treasure, 

Worth much more than we can measure; 

Come and seek it now with me. 

Sail in the air or on the sea.” 

Away, away, away sailed the Twins and the 
Polite Pixie. 

Sarah said, “I’ll be slam-banged how fast 
and far they sail.” 

Sally said, 

“Happy me, happy me. 

Safe and comfortable as can be; 

I won’t sail upon the sea, 

Happy me, happy me.” 

The next day, Sally Sick-A-Bed was pleased 
to receive a postal card from Nan from “Polite¬ 
ness Station,” and one from Ann from “If- 
You-Please Town.” Sally sent a card saying, 
“We forgot to play Birthdays.” 

“So we did,” agreed the Twins. 

The Twins said, “What a wonderful thing it 
is to be sick-a-bed and have so much time for 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 99 


Play Days. What a wonderful thing it is, to 
think of others instead of yourself.” 

Ann said, “I have learned more things than 
I can practice in a hundred years from Sally 
Sick-A-Bed.” 

Nan said, “I have learned so many things I 
shall never scold again for staying in bed a few 
days with measles and I will try to help little 
children who are laid up like Sally Sick-A- 
Bed.” 

The Pixie called cheerfully, 

“A Play of Days, a Play of Days, 

Is very sure to please always; 

Through Fairy spectacles please gaze, 

A Play of Days, a Play of Days.” 

“How soon will we be in Manners Town?” 
asked Nan. 

Ann said, “How far did we travel to-day?” 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“If you follow your nose, instead of your toes. 

It will lead you to Manners Town, I suppose.” 




100 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


You see this was really no answer at all, but 
the Twins shouted, 

“In Manners Town we’re happy and gay, 
We’re on the way, 

We’re on the way, 

We have also heard it said, 

‘Practice good manners when sick-a-bed.’ ” 



CHAPTER 9. 

MANNERS TOWARD ANIMALS. 

“We hope you really understand, 

You can have manners in Animal Land,” 
sang the Polite Pixie one day as he danced 
on the window-sill, and Nan and Ann said, 
“What do you mean by Manners in Animal 
Land? Must we be polite to animals as well 
as people?” 

The Polite Pixie began to whistle and 
along came Everybody’s Dog and Sarah 
Slang. 

The Twins said, “He has truly been such a 
wanderer, perhaps he has known that cat be¬ 
fore.” 

They shed real tears at the idea of leaving 
Rover behind, for the time was drawing near 
for them to go home. 

One morning early, in through the window 
floated a letter. It read: 

101 


102 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“Dear Twins: 

“I enjoy my new Dog House and I enjoy my 
new name and it is fun to have two mistresses, 
but I cannot bear to part with you. Box me 
up and take me home with you. 

“Your loving Rover.” 

“Can we? May we? Shall we?” cried the 
Twins. 

Aunt Matilda kissed the Twins and said, 
“We will see by and by. I am glad you have 
been in Animal Land and learned kindness to 
animals. To tell the truth, I have grown 
rather fond of Rover myself.” 

Rover came in and licked Aunt Matilda’s 
hand. 

The Polite Pixie fairly shouted, 

“Please hearken now to what I say, 

Be kind to animals every day; 

Please hearken now to what I say. 

Be kind to them in every way. 

With good manners be polite, 

Dumb animals can’t assert their rights; 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 103 


These simple things please bear in mind, 
Never be cruel, just be kind. 

No well-mannered child is ever willing, 
To hunt an animal for the joy of killing; 
Please hearken now to what I say. 

Be kind to animals to-day.” 



CHAPTER 10. 


GOOD HABITS OF MIND. 

One morning Nan sang to the tune of 
“Lightly Row,” 

“Postman oh, Postman oh, 

Up and down the street you go; 
Postman oh, Postman oh, 

Walking to and fro. 

Bring a letter, if you please, 

For a paper too we tease, 

Postman oh, Postman oh, 

Welcome as you know.” 

“He is going to stop. Perhaps he will bring 
a letter from Mother,” suggested Ann. 

The Postman brought them three letters 
that day; one from Mother, one from Father, 
and one from Mark. Mother’s letter read: 


104 


Nan and Ann in Manners Town 105 


“Dear Twins: 

“I miss you more as the days go by, but 
Father will come for you soon, and Aunt 
Matilda writes you have improved so much, 
I am sure you must have been in Manners 
Town. I shall be glad indeed to see you again 
and I want to tell you that a surprise awaits 
you in the Little Log House. 

“Be sure to thank Aunt Matilda for all her 
kindness to you and come home soon to, 

“Your loving Mother.” 

Father’s letter read: 

“Dear Twins: 

“I will come soon on the fast express, so pick 
up your grips and bid Aunt Matilda good-by. 
I will arrive the last of next week and we will 
start home at once. 

“Please tell Aunt Matilda we thank her tor 
giving you such a good time, and teaching you 
so many nice manners. We have planned a 
surprise for you in the Little Log House. 

“Good-by. Write soon to, „ 

“Your loving Father. 

The next letter was from Mark. He wrote: 



106 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“Dear Kiddies: 

“I have been to my first formal reception. 
I had to shake hands with the hostess and a 
long line of people. I was glad I had learned 
manners at home and knew what to do. We 
were soon invited out to refreshments and 
served the prettiest things. Ice cream was in 
the form of candles and had lighted nuts on 
top. 

“I am coming home for a vacation and will 
be jolly glad to see you, and the surprise in 
the Little Log House. 

“Your brother Mark.” 

The Twins had just one thing to say when 
they had finished reading their letters. “The 
surprise, what can be the surprise in the Little 
Log House?” 

Arnold Acknowledge-It said, 

“Will you listen to what I say? 

Will you answer your letters right away?” 

“Oh, we cannot possibly answer them now” 
cried the twins. “We have to say good-by 
to Rover and Aunt Matilda, and all our new 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 107 


friends and we just cannot write unless we feel 
in the mood for it.” 

Arnold Acknowledge-It said, 

“Patty and Matty Put-It-Off, 

I’ll name you just in fun; 

Patty and Matty Put-It-Off, 

Never get anything done. 

I’ll ask the Postman not to call, 

Or bring you any more letters at all.” 

“Oh dear,” cried the Twins, “what a really 
fierce fellow you are. The only way to please 
you seems to be to acknowledge a thing right 
away.” 

As they got out paper and ink, Arnold 
Acknowledge-It called, 

“Habits of mind, habits of mind, 

Are very wonderful you will find; 
Habits of mind, habits of mind, 

Make you good and also kind.” 

So the Twins wrote letters home, and both 
of them asked, “What is the surprise in the 
Little Log House? We can hardly wait to get 
there.” 



108 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


That evening as Nan and Ann sat by the 
fire, Nan said, “Do you really believe we will 
ever get to Good Manners Town, now it is 
nearly time to go home?” 

Ann said, “I believe we are on the way now, 
for we try to practice good manners every 
day.” 



CHAPTER ll. 

GOOD-BY—THE JOURNEY HOME. 

“To-morrow, to-morrow, to-morrow,” the 
Twins woke saying, “We are really going 
home to-morrow.” 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“Aunt Matilda has been so kind, 

Make her a present if you don’t mind.” 

“What kind of a present shall it be?” asked 
the Twins eagerly. 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“When selecting presents for one who’s old, 
Don’t buy youthful things I’m told.” 

“Oh,” said Nan, “we should not buy for 
Aunt Matilda things we would like, but some¬ 
thing she would like.” 

They put on their thinking caps and sat for 
some time quietly. 


109 


110 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


The Polite Pixie suggested, 

“To advise is in my power, 

Why not buy her a nice flower?” 

“The very thing,” cried the Twins. So they 
hurried off to the greenhouse and found for 
Aunt Matilda a nice potted plant. They asked 
the florist to deliver it just after they had left, 
and wrote on a card: 

“Dear Aunt Matilda: 

“We send you this flower to make you think 
of us and to thank you for the many happy 
hours you have given us. 

“From Nan and Ann.” 

It was a busy day and the Twins went to 
school in the afternoon to bid their playmates 
good-by. 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“Playground manners I hope you know, 

As on to Manners Town we go; 

I like one motto, I declare, 

In a game always play fair.” 

The Twins saw some children rudely push 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 111 


other children aside, so they would have a bet¬ 
ter chance at the game, and some children 
cheated and many children had never even 
heard of the Golden Rule. Karl Know-It-All, 
and Ben Bully said they had decided not to go 
to Manners Town after all. Bertha Button- 
Olf and Dora Dunce said perhaps they would 
go next year. 

Fannie Favorite told the Twins she had 
already been there and she hoped they would 
have a pleasant journey. 

On arriving home, they found the letter tell¬ 
ing about the Golden Wedding and all was ex¬ 
citement of course. They were invited to their 
Grandmother’s and Grandfather’s Golden 
Wedding. 

The Twins said, “Aunt Matilda, what is a 
Golden Wedding?” 

Aunt Matilda said, “People have a Golden 
Wedding when they have been married fifty 
years and if they give a present it should be 
something made of gold. 

The Twins said, “What can we take to 



112 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Grandmother for her Golden Wedding?” 

Aunt Matilda said, “You may take her my 
gold lace scarf. That will make a fine present 
for a Golden Wedding.” 

Father arrived and the time came to go. 

The Twins said “good-by” to Peter and 
Polly Polite, and Edgar Education, and kissed 
Aunt Matilda, and thanked her for their happy 
time. They called “Good-by, good-by” and 
started on their journey homeward. 

They had berth thirteen and the Twins said, 
“We wonder if we will have any unlucky ad¬ 
ventures.” 

Father said, 

“It is silly to believe in luck, 

Better far to have some pluck.” 

He left the Twins and went into the smoker 
and a familiar voice cried, 

“When entertained even over night, 

A note to the hostess you should write.” 

The Twins said, “Where is the Polite Pixie 
hiding?” 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 113 


He did not show himself for some time, but 
kept on talking about writing to Aunt 
Matilda, and so the Twins wrote a note to¬ 
gether and thanked her for her kindness to 
them. 

Just then the Twins began to think of the 
surprise that awaited them in the Little Log 
House. They begged and teased Father to 
tell what it was. They teased so hard the 
Polite Pixie grew quite angry and even 
threatened to tear the patch off his eye and 
said, 

“Use good manners, if you please, 

It is not polite to tease.” 

Father said, “When I am told to keep a 
secret I try to do so, and you will have to wait 
until you get to the Little Log House to see 
what surprises await you there.” 

“Surprises? Is there more than one sur¬ 
prise?” asked the Twins eagerly. 

Father smiled and nodded. 

That evening the Twins began to tell stories 



114 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


very softly in a whisper, so they would not dis¬ 
turb any one, when the Polite Pixie said, 

“I give invitation hearty, 

Come with me to a Soap Bubble Party.” 

But soon they closed their sleepy eyes and 
the Polite Pixie said, “Here we are with my 
Great Uncle and he says, ‘Get out your pipes, 
and bowls, and soap suds, and we will have a 
Soap Bubble Party. Blow the bubbles. See 
the Pretty colors! See the bubbles fly!’ ” 

One little boy said, “I can’t blow a bubble,” 
and one little girl said, “I won’t blow a bubble,” 
and one child said, “I don’t want to,” and one 
said, “Why do we have to blow bubbles to¬ 
day?” 

My Great Uncle said, 

“Now once in a while I understand, 

We will go to Soap-Bubble Land.” 

We will all go to Soap-Bubble Land and see 
what happened. 

The Twins took up two clay pipes and be¬ 
gan to blow bubbles. They grew larger and 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 115 


larger and had so many pretty colors in them. 
When they broke they were in Soap Bubble 
Land. There they met “I Can’t,” “I Won’t,” 
“Don’t Want To,” and “Why.” These chil¬ 
dren said, “We sailed away in the soap bubbles 
When they broke they were in Soap Bubble 
Land.” 

Just then a Fairy came and waved her magic 
wand, saying, 

“We are very glad you came, 

A fairy now will change your names.” 

She changed “I Won’t’s” name to “I Will,” 
and “I Can’t’s” name to “I Can,” and “I Don’t 
Want To” to “I Will Do It,” and “Why” to 
“No Useless Questions.” Then the children 
were happy and sat down and blew bubbles 
to their heart’s content. 

“I hope we will see a ghost ship, said the 
Twins. 

The Pixie continued, “Columbus discov¬ 
ered the Sargasso Sea long ago. He named 
it from its gulf weed. Some parts ot the sea 



116 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


have ten per cent of gulf weed and this strange 
weed forms rafts and islands. Early sailors 
tell us there was another continent called 
“Atlantus,” but it may have been only these 
floating islands after all. Some of these 
islands have been called ‘Islands of Sunshine.’ 
Millions of coral insects have been building 
for years and years.” 

“How beautiful!” cried the Twins, as they 
looked down from the airship and saw the 
colors in the water. “It looks like Fairyland. 
We will certainly write Sally Sick-A-Bed 
about the Sargasso Sea and Bermuda.” 

“Notice the gardens about the houses and 
feel the fine breeze blowing,” said the Polite 
Pixie. 

Just then a ship came into view. It had 
white sails flying and a silent crew. The lights 
came on, one by one. 

“The Phantom Ship—The Ghost Ship,” 
whispered the Twins. 

The Polite Pixie cried, “I feel sure there 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 117 


is a treasure in the Phantom Ship,” and de¬ 
scending to earth he rode away, waving good- 
by and calling, 

‘‘Nan and Ann please don’t forget, 

Little lessons in Etiquette; 

You’ll meet a Pixie of great renown, 

Just as you enter Manners Town.” 

Next morning the Twins declared they had 
had the same dream. 

Father said, “As we are nearly at our jour¬ 
ney’s end, see now that everything in your 
traveling bags is in order, and have your coats 








118 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


and caps ready for the Porter to brush, for you 
may as well put some of your good manners 
into practice. It is not very good form to ap¬ 
pear in a hurry, if you can help it.” 

Father explained that it was customary to 
give the Porter some money at the journey’s 
end, for he had looked after their comfort. 

The Patient Porter came into view now with 
his whisk broom and began to brush people’s 
clothes and answer their questions as to how 
soon they would arrive, and if the train was on. 
time, and how cold it was. 

All was bustle and excitement. 

The Twins sat up very straight and said, 
“We can hardly wait to get home. We can 
hardly wait to see Mother and find out the sur¬ 
prises that await us in the Little Log House.” 

The train came to a stop. There were 
Mother and Mark and Sammy Slow-Coach, 
waiting for them. 

The Twins forgot all the manners they ever 
had heard of and shouted as they ran out of the 
train, “Hurrah! Hurrah!” 



CHAPTER 12. 


IN MANNERS TOWN. 

Nan and Ann were so happy to see Mother 
and Mark they almost forgot about the sur¬ 
prise that awaited them in the Little Log 
House. 

Mother said, “I am so glad to have my girls 
home again! How tall you have grown!” 

Father said, “When you are together I can 
tell you apart. I wonder if I can tell which is 
which, when you come in one at a time.” 

Mark whistled softly and said, 

“One can tell you apart if he really tries, 

In the Little Log House waits your surprise.” 

Then the first delightful thing happened. 

Off and away the happy Twins bounded to 
the Little Log House. “Oh” and “Ah” and 

119 


120 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“How splendid!” they cried when they stepped 
inside, for there was a baby grand piano for 
Nan, and a violin for Ann, and the Little Log 
House was fixed up for a real studio, and Mark 
said two music teachers were engaged to come 
next week, one to teach violin, and one piano. 

The Twins were so happy they imagined 
they were musicians already and they said, 
“We are glad we had a birthday. We are so' 
happy over our home-coming and our sur-, 
prises!” 

Then the second delightful thing happened. 

Grandma and Grandpa came to celebrate 
their Golden Wedding, for they had been mar¬ 
ried fifty years. The Twins had a chance to 
practice all the manners they had learned, and 
they loved to run and wait on Grandma and 
Grandpa, for they loved them dearly. 

The Twins ran errands and helped take the 
invitations to the Golden Wedding, and 
helped unpack the presents as they arrived, and 
helped decorate the house with flowers. 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 121 


At last the great day came and guests came 
from far and near. 

Ann opened the door for them, and Nan told 
them where to lay their wraps, and Grandma 
and Grandpa, and Father and Mother, stood 
in line to receive the guests. Then they had a 
beautiful formal dinner. 

The Twins never forgot the Golden Wed¬ 
ding and wondered if they would ever have a 
Golden Wedding day. 

Then the third delightful thing happened. 
A letter came from Uncle Phil saying, 

“I am thinking of running down, 

To meet the Twins in Manners Town.” 

“Hurrah!” cried Nan and Ann, “We will 
surely have a fine time in Manners Town if 
Uncle Phil meets us there.” 

The next delightful thing was a letter from 
the Polite Pixie which he dropped from the air, 
because he was sailing again in an aeroplane. 
He enclosed two tickets to Manners Town and 
said, 



122 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


“I will call, let me explain, 

I ivill call in the Manners Town Train.” 

The Polite Pixie came about as soon as his 
letter. He came in an aeroplane, which he 
called his train. The Twins said good-by to all 
at home and said, “This is a fine way to travel.” 

The Polite Pixie said, “I will punch your 
tickets, because you used good manners at 
home lately. I expect I will have to punch your 
tickets quite often as we make many stops be¬ 
fore we arrive at Manners Town.” 

The Twins behaved so well on the journey 
that they had their tickets punched again and 
soon they saw r the roofs of the cutest little 
houses, in the cutest little town in the world, 
and they said, “It is a regular little Toy Town. 
We will feel like giants there.” 

The Polite Pixie said, 

“I use my magic of the sea, 

You can grow tiny as can be!” 

Nan and Ann began to shrink and feel them¬ 
selves no larger than big dolls. “Stop, stop,” 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 123 


cried the Polite Pixie, “you have shrunk in size 
enough.” 

So they sailed down into Manners Town and 
had a royal reception. They were met by 
Knights in Armour who welcomed them to 
Manners Town and every one they met said, 
“Excuse me,” “Beg Pardon,” “Thank You,” 
“If You Please,” and “By Your Leave.” 

The Twins rode on white horses all around 
Manners Town and it was the happiest, busiest 
place in the whole wide world. 

The children were delighted to meet all their 
old friends and new friends, and suddenly 
came upon Uncle Phil, who had grown small 
in size too, so he could visit in Manners Town. 

They had some Good-Mannered Plays and 
Uncle Phil entered into the spirit of it with 
the children. He sat down in an easy chair 
and saw how many children he could catch 
who forgot to say “excuse me” when they 
passed in front of him, and how many children 
were polite enough to pass back instead of in 
front. 



124 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


The Polite Pixie was happy and said, 

“Dear Twins, it moves me most to tears. 
You know so much now for your years; 
Please remember manners, dears, 

You must go home it appears.” 

The Twins said, “We would like to stay for¬ 
ever in this cute little town.” 

Just then there was a flare of trumpets and 
rat-a-tat of drums, and down the street came 
the Good Manners Parade. All the procession 
were mounted on white horses and carried 
Banners with such words on them as—“Be 
Courteous at Home,” “Respect the Aged,” “Be 
Polite at Table,” “Remember Manners in Pub¬ 
lic,” “Be a Lady or Gentleman,” “Cultivate a 
Pleasant Voice.” 

“Oh my!” cried Ann, “I have learned 
enough to last me a thousand years.” 

Nan said, “We shall have to be very careful 
from now on, never to say we hate to practice, 
or we don’t want to get up, or to tease, or con¬ 
tradict any one, for we think we would really 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 125 


and truly like to live in Manners Town.” 

“Good!” cried a sentinel, “You are the two 
we are looking for, and just the proper size. 
We want two Queens in Good Manners Town, 
so when one is absent the other may be on the 
throne. As you look exactly alike our subjects 
will never know the difference.” 

The Polite Pixie stopped him just in time 
and took the Twins and Uncle Phil in his aero¬ 
plane and made them all the proper size again. 

Next day a long pleasant letter came from 
Aunt Matilda, and Sally Sick-A-Bed wrote 
too, and said she had just had one of her red, 
white and blue days, everything patriotic of 
course. 

The Twins remembered Arnold Acknowl¬ 
edge-It’s advice and answered the letters 
promptly, and even remembered to answer all 
the questions the letters contained. 

The day came for Grandma and Grandpa 
to say good-by, and the Twins helped them 
carry their wraps and packages and went to the 



126 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


train with them. Uncle Phil was next to go, 
but he came and went so often the Twins did 
not mind saying good-by to him at all. 

The Twins called, “Good-by, good-by,” and 
Mother said, “I am glad you are going to stay 
home and practice and learn to play the piano 
and violin. Some day you may give real con¬ 
certs.” 

The Twins decided to give Mother and 
Father a surprise and they both decided to 
learn to play both instruments. 

The Polite Pixie peeped into the Little Log 
House and saw Nan practicing piano and Ann 
practicing violin. Then he saw Ann prac¬ 
ticing piano and Nan practicing violin. He 
said, 

“Your manners in practice are pleasing me, 
And good musicians you will be; 

Such regular practice pleases me. 

Good-by, I feel the call of the sea.” 

“Good-by, and thank you for taking us to 
Manners Town,” cried the Twins. 



Nan and Ann in Manners Town 127 


The Polite Pixie called back, 

“If faithfully you count each measure. 

You will find a hidden treasure.” 

The Twins did not know exactly what he 
meant, but the next time Nan opened the 
piano she found a little gold ring with a pearl 
in it, and Ann found in her violin case a little 
gold ring with a pearl in it. On the inside of 
each ring was written, 

“Practice good rules and write them down, 

From the Polite Pixie of Manners Town.” 

The Twins always wore their rings after 
that, for they reminded them of their manners 
and they often sang to the tune of “Twinkle 
Little Star,” 

“Manners Town, so we’ve heard say, 

Is not very far away; 

We can enter any day, 

And a game of Manners play.” 

Nan said, “I wonder if the Polite Pixie will 
meet us in Good English Town.” 



128 Nan and Ann in Manners Town 


Ann said, “Perhaps we will go there with 
our Fairy Godmother.” 

THE END. 

LAURA ROUNTREE SMITH. 

Platteville, Wis. 





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